Solar program for Cloncurry under a cloud

A $7 million solar energy program that would see the north-west Queensland town of Cloncurry totally powered by solar energy appears to have been left behind a cloud.

Cloncurry Shire Mayor Andrew Daniels said the company paying for the lion's share of the trial may have "gone rogue".

Almost three years after the state government promised $7 million for the radical Cloncurry solar thermal trial, only $900,000 has been invested in the project.

Sydney-based company Lloyd Energy Storage also planned to spend $23 million on the project, to investigate a new way to store solar energy using graphite.

But Mr Daniels said he doesn't know where they've gone.

"It was supposed to be up and running by now," he said.

"I don't know whether they're rogue or what's going on.

"It just stopped, we were dealing with Lloyd Energy, now somewhere or other, Lloyd Energy got lost."

In a state first, the project aimed to have eight thousand mirrors that would reflect sunlight onto graphite blocks by 2010/11.

However, all that currently exists is four test panels and a replica tower.

Mr Daniels said he had recently been in consultation with the state government and was hopeful the half-finished pilot plan would be completed.

"It's going to be bad for them if it doesn't," he said.

"This was a big announcement four years ago.

"It would be a huge dent into what people think of them if they've committed to this and it doesn't eventuate."

Energy Minister Stephen Robertson said the state government was awaiting an update from Lloyd Energy, which would inform future investment in the project.

He said initial advice from the contractor indicated the technology did not appear to be economically viable.

"However it would be irresponsible to pull up stumps before we have all the necessary information to make a fully informed decision," he said on Thursday.

"If it doesn't stack up we will invest the remaining funding in an alternative solar project for Cloncurry."

Opposition Leader John-Paul Langbroek said the solar power project was the latest in a litany of environmental failures under Labor.

"At the last state election, Anna Bligh promised 200,000 low cost solar water heaters for Queensland households, but that evaporated after the federal Labor government scrapped their rebate scheme," he said.

"Similarly, a vehicle green offsets program announced with great fanfare last year has stalled due to a lack of interest."